PHOENIX – UC San Diego continued play in the Grand Canyon State on Monday, falling at defending Western Athletic Conference champion Grand Canyon, 7-0, at GCU Tennis Facility.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Grand Canyon 7, UC San Diego 0
Records: GCU 3-0; UCSD 0-2
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Grad student Sophie Pearson and junior Naomi Nguyen were 7-5 winners on court three in doubles action. The 'Lopes earned the doubles point with a 6-1 win on court one and a 7-6 (3) victory on court two.
 
In singles play, Grand Canyon clinched the match with victories on courts six, one and four. On five, Pearson took the first set, 6-3. She lost the second set and, with the match clinched, Pearson and Elizaveta Morozova played a super tiebreak in the third set, where Morozova was victorious, 10-5.
 
TENNIS MATCH RESULTS
Grand Canyon vs. UC San Diego
Jan 15, 2024 at Phoenix, Ariz.
(GCU Tennis Facility)
 
Grand Canyon 7, UC San Diego 0
 
Singles competition
1. Natasha Puehse (GCU) def. Kelly Leung (UCSD), 6-1, 6-1
2. Santa Strombacha (GCU) def. Ella Pachl (UCSD), 6-2, 6-1
3. Valeriia Krokhotina (GCU) def. Naomi Nguyen (UCSD), 6-3, 6-4
4. Iva Sepa (GCU) def. Grace Gamal (UCSD), 6-1, 6-4
5. Elizaveta Morozova (GCU) def. Sophie Pearson (UCSD), 3-6, 6-1, 10-5
6. Dania Deaifi (GCU) def. Katelyn Vu (UCSD), 6-1, 6-3
 
Doubles competition
1. Natasha Puehse/Santa Strombacha (GCU) def. Ella Pachl/Katelyn Vu (UCSD), 6-1
2. Lailaa Bashir/Iva Sepa (GCU) def. Kelly Leung/Polina Jorniak (UCSD), 7-6 (7-3)
3. Sophie Pearson/Naomi Nguyen (UCSD) def. Valentina Del Marco/Valeriia Krokhotina  (GCU), 7-5
 
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,1,4,2,3,5)
 
QUOTABLE
"Doubles could've gone either way and came down to a deciding tiebreaker at two. At singles, we needed to calm our thoughts and play confidently to be in every match," said UC San Diego head coach Sebastian Bader. "The team fought and responded and made improvements where we asked them to [after Saturday's match]. While the score doesn't reflect that, I believe we got better today. We're looking forward to another opportunity tomorrow against a quality opponent."

TRITON TIDBITS

• Grad student Sophie Pearson became the first Triton to take a set at singles this spring, winning the first set, 6-3, over her GCU foe Monday.
• Pearson and junior Naomi Nguyen picked up where they left off last season with a doubles win on court three. They won four of their final five decisions last year.
• Grand Canyon improved to 2-0 against Big West opponents. GCU swept fellow Big West member UC Davis on Sunday.

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego concludes its trip on Tuesday morning, when the Tritons face Arizona. First serve vs. the Wildcats is scheduled for 9 am PT/10 am MT on Tuesday from the GCU campus.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Divisions I and II.